The poor mad girl's story
by DauntlessMockingj4y
Summary: Annie Cresta's POV, starting from her own Reaping until the end of Mockingjay. Slightly AU.


[AUTHORS NOTE: I'm not sure how often this will be updated, i'm going to try to make it a chapter a week. I'll make a note if it'll be longer :)]

I wake with a start. My heart pounding, I sit up, my fathers name still on my lips. I was having another nightmare. My father was killed in a fishing accident 4 months ago, and I still have nightmares every night, screaming his name until I wake up. As I wipe the sweat from my brow, my stomach drops as I remember the day. Reaping Day, for the 70th annual Hunger Games. I try to push the immediate fear out of my mind. I've only got 5 slips, 5 out of thousands. I shouldn't be worried.

"Annie, wake up honey." my mother calls through the door.

"I'm up, I'll be out soon." I reply.

I get up and head towards the door, pausing to look in the small mirror that hangs on my wall. My green eyes are bright against my skin, still pale from the lingering fear from my nightmare. My hair, long and so dark it's nearly black, hang in shiny waves past my shoulders. I turn away, pleased.

I open my door to find my mother standing there, a white dress in her hands. She opens her mouth like she's about to say something, but she closes it, shaking her head softly. She pushes the dress into my hands and walks away, going to wake my twin brother, Aleks, up I'm guessing. I repress the urge to roll my eyes as I turn around to enter my room. She always acts like this, like she cares about me, on Reaping Day, while she ignores me every other day. She treats my brother like he's some sort of God, and I guess it takes up all of her time and love.

I I quickly put on the dress, a pretty white one i've never seen before. It falls to just above my knees, and I'm happy with the way it looks. I walk to the door, not bothering to do anything with my hair. I open the door and nearly bump into my brother, who looks like he could pass out at any moment.

"Morning An." he says, yawning.

"Hey." I reply, looking at the ground.

My brother looks so much like our father that it makes my stomach sink just to look at him. I try to walk to the hall but he stops me.

"You have to look at me eventually, Annie." he says.

I look up at see him smiling, but it's obvious I've hurt his feelings. The guilt threatens to swallow me up as I begin to apologize. I can hardly open my mouth before he stops me.

"Don't worry about it, I don't blame you. Why do you think I broke my mirror?" he asks.

Tears fill my eyes as he walks down the hall, grabbing an apple before he leaves. I promise myself to stop shutting my brother out. He's still hurting too, and I'm not helping him at all. I wipe my eyes before following him, linking my arm around his before I open the door. I don't bother to see if our mother is following us before I drag Aleks out the door.

"What do you think will happen to mom? If one of us gets chosen?" he asks.

"Don't even talk like that. There's thousands of names, we'll be fine." I reply, my voice shaking slightly. I worried about his question though. I had wondered that too. How could our mother, who could barely take care of herself after losing our father, handle possibly losing one of her children too?

We turn the corner and enter the square. Melanie, our District's escort, is standing on the stage. Her long green hair hung straight, making her look like she had seaweed on her head. Her dress, a tight green one that went from her neck to her ankles, didn't help. I hug Aleks tightly, my heart beating a million miles a minute.

"I'll see you soon, okay? We'll be fine." he whispers, pulling away.

I just nod my head, not trusting my voice. I grip his hand tightly and let go, walking towards the group of 16 year old girls. I hear my friends calling my name, but I ignore them, preferring to stand alone. I face the stage as I hear Melanie clear her throat.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Happy Hunger Games!" she called out, her face breaking out into a huge smile.

"Ladies first."

She walks over to the bowl, making a huge show out of sticking her hand into it. I roll my eyes as she pulls out a name and holds the slip like it's about to explode. I barely have time to hope it isn't me before she tears open the slip and silently reads the name. She looks around at all of us and I feel the urge to roll my eyes return when she reads out the name.

"Annie Cresta."

I look around, feeling awful for this Annie before I hear my brother scream my name. The pain in his voice is obvious. I finally process what had just happened. She called my name. I numbly walk up to the stage, the only thing that registers in my mind is my brothers weeping. I wish someone would help him. I take my place on the stage, and Melanie gives me a strange look. I wish she wouldn't, although I understand it. This is District Four. We're normally a Career District. He should be happy for me, not crying.

"Yes, well. Time for the boys." she says, frowning. She walks over to the bowl and sticks her hand in, not bothering to try and impress anybody. She walks back to the microphone and opens the slip. Her eyes go wide as she reads it, and I don't bother to question it. She clears her throat and reads the name.

"Aleks Cresta." she says quietly.

I immediately sink to my knees. There's no confusion this time as the full impact of her words hit me.

I'm facing my brother in the arena.


End file.
